Portable crane



June 8, 1954 H. s. WEATHERBY 2,680, 2

PORTABLE CRANE Filed D60. 30, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l PIC-1.1.

. \h INVENTOR. H/EAM s. msnr/rseez I BY , ArraeA/e' Ys.

June 8, 1954 H. s. WEATHERBY 2,680,525

PORTABLE CRANE Filed Dec. 30, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5: mm mm INVENTOR. H/e4n4 5 W54 nae-e5;

vamp/407M am/W AfraAaers Patented June 8, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE CRANE Hiram S. Weatherby, Atlanta, Ga. Application December 30,

3 Claims.

reduce the bulk of the crane, whereby the crane may be transported over conventional highways.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved crane oi the type having a foldable boom, the crane being simple in construction, being easy to manipulate, and being arranged so that the boom thereof may be folded or unfolded in a relatively short period of time and with a human labor.

Further objects and advantages of the invenecome apparent from the following and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an imway.

Figure 2 is a side elevational of Figure 1, shown with partly extended position.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the portable crane of Figure 1, shown with the boom in fully extended position preparatory for elevation of the boom to an operative position.

Figure 4 is a side elevational View of the power crane of Figures 1, 2 and 3, shown with the boom elevated to its working position.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal plan view of the hinged portion of the boom of the power crane of Figures 1 to 4, showing the ack rods and their associated sleeves.

view of the crane the boom thereof in Figure 6 is a cross sectional detail view taken on the line Eii of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken on the line 'i-7 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, a mobile crane of the type contemplated by the present invention comprises a truck vehicle having a body section iii and a prime mover engine (not shown) located under the hood iii, the vehicle being provided with the road wheels 52. The crane unit com- 1952, Serial No. 328,597

Designated at i5 is an inboard boom section constructed of suitable structural members, such as the longitudinal elements It and the diagonal in Figure 5. The inboard boom section IS IS pivoted to the superin a vertical plane. I9 is an outboard boom section which is hingedly connected to the upper outer end of the inboard section It, as shown at 29, the inboard section I5 being prov'deol with the hinged 2i and the outboard section !9 being shown in Figure 7, the sleeve member 27 may comprise main body portions formed with reduced shank elements 28 extending through and rotatably secured to the respective side members #6, as by suitable nuts 29. As shown in Figure 1, the sleeve members 21 are spaced a substantial distance from the hinge connections 23 although being located near said hinge connections.

Designated at 30, 3!} are respective jack rods which are hinged at 3!, 31 to the opposite side elements 32, 32 of the outboard boom section It at distances from the hinge connections iii substantialiy equal to the distances of the sleeve memfrom said hinge connections. The jack rods 36, 30 extend slidably through the sleeve members 21, 21. The jack rods 33 are preferably of tubular stock, and their lower ends, as

hooks 33 secured to the ends of respective cables rotatably mounted on the upper side of the inboard boom section I5, as viewed in Figure l. The cables 3!! are conshown, for independently winding the reel or drum 3%.

The outboard section as is provided at its end with the conventional pulley means for support-.

ing the load book 31, and is provided with the load line 38 for controlling the movement of load book 31, said load line 38 being wound on and controlled by a drum or reel 39 mounted on the superstructure l3 and powered by conventional means in said superstructure. Designated at li! is the main boom tion of the boom, when said boom is in its extended position, said boom line being connected to a reel or drum 51 mounted on the superstructure I3 and powered by conventional driving means carried by said superstructure.

In order to extend the boom to the operative position thereof shown in Figures 3 and i, the reel 36 is rotated by its power means to elevate the jack rods 39 from the positions thereof shown in Figure 1 to the positions thereof shown in Figure 2, wherein the outboard boom section l9 has been elevated to a substantially vertical position, the inboard boom section is being supported on the top of the hood H. After the outboard boom section is has been raised to the position thereof shown in Figure 2, the main boom line to is employed to control the further clockwise movement of the outboard boom section it, as viewed in Figure 2, allowing said outboard boom section to descend by gravity to the position thereor shown in Figure 3, wherein the outboard boom section 19 is aligned with the inboard boom section and is substantially horizontal. The interengaging lug elements 25 and 26 are then secured by suitable bolts, as above explained, whereby the outboard boom section 49 is rigidly connected in alignment with the inboard boom section iii. The boom may then be elevated to the working position thereof shown in Figure 4 by means of the main boom line All and its driving reel 4i.

To fold up the boom for transportation of the crane, the above procedure is reversed, namely, the boom is first lowered to its horizontal position, shown in Figure 3, and the bolts are removed from the interengaging lugs 25, 26. The outboard section is is then elevated to its vertical position, shown in main boom line it, after which the outboard boom section l9 is allowed to descend to the position thereof shown in Figure 1 by gravity, the descent of the outboard boom section being controlled by the drag line 315, as by suitably braking the reel 36 as the jack rods 36, 30 move downwardly through the sleeves 21, 21 during the descent of the outboard boom section l9 to the final position thereof shown in Figure 1.

While a specific embodiment of an improved power crane having a foldable boom has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled line for controlling the eleva Figure 2, by means of the late portion of said in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a power crane, a base, a superstructure mounted on said base, an inboard boom section pivoted to said superstructure, an outboard boom section hingedly connected to the outer end of said inboard section, means for at times securing the boom sections in aligned positions, a sleeve member pivotally secured to the intermediate portion of said inboard section, an elevating rod pivotally secured to the intermediate portion of said outboard section and extending slidably through said sleeve member, a cable movably supported on said inboard section, means on the cable lockingly engageable with the free end of the rod, and a winding reel on said superstructure, said cable being connected to said winding reel.

2. In a power crane, a base, a superstructure mounted on said base, an inboard boom section pivoted to said superstructure, an outboard boom section hingedly connected to the outer end of said inboard section, means for at times securing the boom sections in aligned positions, a boom elevating cable connecting the free end of the outboard section of the superstructure, a sleeve member pivotally secured to the intermeinboard section, an elevating rod pivotally secured to the intermediate portion of said outboard section and extending slidably through said sleeve member, a cable movably supported on said inboard section, means on the last-named cable lockingly the free end of the rod, and a winding reel on said superstructure, said last-named cable being connected to said winding reel.

3. In a power crane, a base, a superstructure mounted on said base, an inboard boom section pivoted to said superstructure, an outboard boom section hingedly connected to the outer end of said inboard section, means for at times securing the boom sections in aligned positions, a first winding reel on the superstructure, a boomelevating cable connecting said first winding reel to the free end of the outboard section, a sleeve member pivotally secured to the intermediate portion of said inboard section, an elevating rod pivotally secured to the intermediate portion of said outboard section and extending slidably through said sleeve member, a cable movably supported on said inboard section, means on the lastnamed cable lockingly engageable with the free end of the rod, and a second winding reel on said superstructure, said last-named cable being connected to said second winding reel.

No references cited.

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